“ Great Sermon! ”
Interesting interpretation! I can see the appeal of interpreting it in this way and appreciate your careful study. However, you said that Calvin "didn't know what to do with it"... but Calvin expresses no confusion regarding the interpretation in his commentary (so I felt like that comment was slightly disingenuous: he didn't reach your conclusions, but he was not confused!), and his interpretation carries with it none of the problems that yours does (for instance, the idea that Jesus would value fallen humanity more than His own resources strikes at mercy, and makes salvation a "good business decision" for God; also, that Jesus would find "the kingdom"-since that's what the treasure IS- before He purchases it!; finally- Owen's question: if Christ atoned for each one, on what basis does anyone go to hell?/ Is unbelief a sin?). It's better to see this parable as it has been traditionally interpreted: a call to the Christian to surrender all for the Kingdom, and to ask whether he does so joyfully. It's commendable to seek to incorporate context into the text in question, but in this case I would humbly suggest that your presuppositions (i.e. "the Kingdom parables are always soteriological") drove your exegesis, and caused you to miss the main point of this particular parable. |
